Should you visit Doha or Ho Chi Minh City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Doha and Ho Chi Minh City can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Doha or Ho Chi Minh City?
Doha
Doha is the capital city of Qatar, modern and rapidly developing with much construction underway. It is home to Doha International Airport, the main point of entry for Qatar, as well as many of the country's best museums and examples of cultural heritage.
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam. It previously served as the capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). The metropolitan area, including Ho Chi Minh City, Thu Dau Mot, Di An, Bien Hoa, and other surrounding towns, has a population of more than 9 million people and continues to grow.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam.
Which place is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Doha?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Doha is $200, while the average daily cost in Ho Chi Minh City is $81. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Doha and Ho Chi Minh City in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Doha or Ho Chi Minh City? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here:
Doha Hotel Prices and
Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Doha
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Doha:
-
Private Full Day City Sightseeing Tour with Transfer:
$270
-
Private Transfer from Doha City to Doha (DOH) Airport:
$191
-
Qatar Doha Hamad Airport (DOH): Transfer to Doha city:
$175
-
Doha Hamad Airport (DOH) to Doha - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$131
-
ONE WAY: Doha International Airport - Private Transfer From/to Hotels:
$122
-
Arrival Transfer: Hamad Airport DOH to Doha by Luxury Van:
$120
-
Departure Transfer: Doha to Hamad Airport DOH by Luxury Van:
$120
-
Airport Transfer: Doha to Doha Airport DOH by Luxury Van:
$120
-
Stopover/Layover Transit City Tour & Transfer (4 Hour):
$115
-
Private transfer from Qatar Doha Hamad Airport (DOH) to Doha city:
$115
-
Airport Transfer: Doha to Doha Airport DOH by Luxury Car:
$108
-
City Highlight Tour with Transfer (4-hours):
$99
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Ho Chi Minh City:
-
Short Taxi Ride
$1.40
-
Taxi From Airport
$7.99
-
Cyclo Ride (One Hour)
$1.60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Airport Transfer (From Hotels in Ho Chi Minh to Airport) Private 4 Seats Car:
$38
-
Airport Transfer (From Hotels in Ho Chi Minh to Airport) Private 7 Seats Car:
$47
-
Airport Transfer From Hotel in Ho Chi Minh to Airport By 4 Seats Car:
$35
-
Airport Transfer From Hotel in Ho Chi Minh to Airport By 7 Seats Car:
$41
-
Airport Transfers (Airport - Ho Chi Minh,Private 16 Seats Car):
$52
-
Airport Transfers From Airport to Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City 7 seat Car:
$46
-
Airport transfer from TAN SON NHAT airport to HO CHI MINH:
$23
-
Bus transfer between Sai Gon and Da Lat - “City of Flowers”:
$27
-
CONVENIENT AIRPORT TRANSFER by PRIVATE CAR or SCOOTERS | Kiss Tours:
$28
-
Fusion Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer:
$20
-
HO CHI MINH AIRPORT: CAR 7s PICK UP <-> HOTEL (one way transfer):
$22
-
HO CHI MINH AIRPORT: Car 16s pick up <-> hotel (one way transfer):
$32
Is it cheaper to fly into Doha or Ho Chi Minh City?
Prices for flights to both Ho Chi Minh City and Doha change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
-
Food
Meals for one day
Doha $61
Ho Chi Minh City $14
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Doha
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Doha.
-
Private Dinner on Al Safliya Island:
$76
-
Private Souk Waqif with Lunch or Dinner Tour:
$96
-
Food Tour in The Pearl Qatar Island:
$119
-
BBQ Dinner in the desert resort; Dune bashing & camel ride:
$165
-
Full Day Desert Safari with Camp Access, Buffet Dinner,Camel Ride:
$195
-
Doha : Full Day Desert Safari | BBQ Dinner | Inland sea:
$197
-
Private Desert Safari with BBQ Lunch/Dinner at Souk Al Wakra:
$202
-
Full Day Desert Private Safari with Lunch or Dinner:
$214
-
Private Overnight Desert Safari, Dune bashing, dinner & Breakfast:
$220
-
Full Day Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner:
$234
-
From Overnight Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner:
$240
Typical Food Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Ho Chi Minh City:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ho Chi Minh City
For Ho Chi Minh City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour:
$15
-
Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour by Motorbike/ Car with Student :
$19
-
Top Niche Walking Street Food Tour with Uni Student:
$26
-
Private Walking Food Tour with Local Students :
$26
-
Saigon: Backstreets Private Walking Food Tour & 10 Tastings:
$27
-
Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City:
$28
-
Food Tour by Scooter with Eleven Tastings:
$28
-
Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour By Motorbike +Sightseeing SAFE & FUN:
$28
-
Saigon Private Walking Food Tour with Thirteen Tastings:
$28
-
Saigon Private Eleven-Tastings Food Tour by Scooter:
$28
-
Ho Chi Minh: Thirteen-Tastings Private Walking Food Tour:
$28
-
Saigon Food Tour and Vietnamese Coffee:
$29
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Doha
Here are a few actual costs in Doha for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Doha City Tour And Dhow Boat Ride (Private Tour):
$84
-
Private Express Doha City Tour:
$165
-
Private-Combo Full Day Tour Doha City and Desert Safari :
$150
-
Transit/Layover Tours from Doha Airport – Explore Doha City :
$105
-
(Private) Quickie to the Desert Safari Experience - Inland Sea Visit:
$100
-
1 Hour Camel Ride Experience in Sealine Beach:
$172
-
4 Hours Purple Island Mangroves Kayaking Adventure in Qatar:
$130
-
4-Hour Private Group City Tour in Doha, Qatar:
$68
-
4-Hour Private Tour to Msheireb Museums:
$95
-
4-Hour Private Tour to Msheireb Museums and city tour:
$75
-
5 Hours Private Night Tour of Doha:
$176
-
8-Hour Private Cultural Tour:
$288
Typical Entertainment Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
For Ho Chi Minh City, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
-
Ho Chi Minh City private walking tours with young local volunteers:
$1.89
-
Saigon: Free Walking Tour:
$2.08
-
Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Double-Decker:
$2.37
-
Walking Tour:
$5.00
-
City Sightseeing Panoramic Bus Tour:
$7.00
-
Saigon: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$7.00
-
Saigon: City Sightseeing 45-Minute Panoramic Night Tour:
$7.00
-
Floating Village Eco-Tourism Tan Lap - Trekking Day Trip:
$7.48
-
Ho Chi Minh Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour:
$7.66
-
Ho Chi Minh Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour:
$7.85
-
3-Hours Trekking Tour to Hidden Waterfall and Sturgeon Farm:
$8.21
-
Ho Chi Minh City Tour and Independence Palace Ticket 2 in 1:
$8.46
Alcohol
Typical Alcohol Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Ho Chi Minh City:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Doha and Ho Chi Minh City, we can see that Doha is more expensive. And not only is Ho Chi Minh City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Doha is in Middle East and Ho Chi Minh City is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Ho Chi Minh City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ho Chi Minh City and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Doha would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Doha than you might in Ho Chi Minh City.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Doha Expensive? and Is Ho Chi Minh City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Doha or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Doha. When comparing the sizes of Doha and Ho Chi Minh City, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Related Articles for Ho Chi Minh City